I have worked as a Firefighter for over 25 years, in that time i have trained as (USAR) Urban Search & Rescue. I would be called out to major incidents around the UK. I have also trained as a swift water technicain and been involved in rope rescue and had some challenging incidents. At the current time in the service I am one of the training officers in breathing apparatus and hot live fire training. I joined the service mountaineering club in 2000 but have been in the hills since 1990. I decided to do the MLs training in 2009 and passed in 2010. I have used this skill in taking club members in the mountains of North Wales and the Lakes and Scotland. I have over the passed 4 years I have trained up 4 teams to take on the Ten Tors challenge over the 45 & 35 mile distance. I have had to date a 100% success rate with all teams finishing, I get a lot of enjoyment from this and still get involved in volunteering to this day.
For the passed 14 years I have been chairman for the Fire Service Mountaineering Club, I organise trips away in Scotland in the winter months and Austria in the Summer, This means I get to take members up in the mountains and show them the skills i have picked up over the passed 16 years in winter conditions. We have a good laugh on the hill followed by a few drinks in the pub afterwards. I am a qualified WML I feel I need to as chairman of the club. I would only use this skill to take members from the club in the hills at winter time because this is my holiday as well. As a CWA we as a club meet up every week at the local climbing wall in Exeter Quay Climbing Centre. I show new members the ropes pardon the pun. I have been to the Alps and climbed Mont Blanc twice, had a go at the Matterhorn ( Did not top out) So bagged the Bright Horn ridge instead. To this day if I drive passed a hill or mountain I think if I had my kit I could bag that one today.